Report by Glen Maxwell

In association with:
ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Saturday August 13 2016

Blyth Spartans 3 – 1 Coalville Town

Daniel Maguire’s brace inspired a 3-1 winning start for Spartans against Coalville Town – as Blyth were forced to play more than half of the game with ten men.

Maguire scored almost identical goals either side of a Sean Reid header, to ensure that Massiah McDonald’s equaliser and then Nathan Buddle’s sending off didn’t spoil the party in their Evo-Stik Premier Division opener against the newly promoted Leicestershire-based side.

Having seen Buddle receive his marching orders in the 37th minute, Spartans dealt very well with being a man down before Maguire was able to seal all three points late on.

Sunny weather gave way to light showers prior to kick-off, but that didn’t put a dampen the spirit of the Croft Park faithful – as they welcomed back their heroes like they’d never been away.

And Spartans started the new season just as they’d ended the last – as a familiar face opened the scoring on six minutes.

Reid played through Michael Richardson on the right, who picked out Maguire in the box. Maguire saw his first shot blocked, but kept his composure to turn onto his other foot and fire home to put the hosts ahead.

McDonald then received the first yellow card of the game, after going through the back of Michael Liddle on halfway. He could perhaps count himself lucky to still be on the pitch, with plenty of Spartans’ voices bellowing for a red.

As if that wasn’t enough of a sickner for the home support, McDonald would then level proceedings for Town just two minutes later – after the forward was quickest to react to Peter Jeffries’ block on Nathan Watson’s shot and was left to calmly stabbed the ball into an empty net.

The game soon took on a sour note with a number of hard Coalville challenges going unpunished by referee John Mathews, before sarcastic cheers were heard around the ground in the 21st minute – as a yellow was finally shown to Danny Jenno, who had cynically brought down Maguire as he was looking to run onto a lofted through ball from the back.

The visitors broke from the resulting Spartans free-kick and had looked to have capitalised on Ryan Hutchison’s attempt to play it out from the back, but Spartans skipper Robert Dale was on hand to cut out the cross at the near post.

Jeffries was next to be caught in doubt for the hosts – as he began to come to collect the ball before realising Karl Demidh would get there before him. However, he redeemed himself straight away with a save from the winger’s shot.

Maguire made a jinking run inside the box just after the half-hour mark – turning the Coalville defenders inside and out in the process – and looked to have grabbed his second of the afternoon with a low hard drive past goalkeeper Sean Bowles, but a fantastic slide from the last defender knocked the ball behind.

Blyth were not to be denied though, as they reclaimed the lead from the resulting corner.

Set-piece specialist Stephen Turnbull picked out the near post run of Reid, who was able to beat his man and power a header past the outstretched hand of Bowles to restore the Spartans’ lead

Just as everything appeared to be getting back on track for the hosts, what can only be described as bemusing chaos ensued two minutes later.

As play continued down the left-wing, Buddle squared up to Coalville keeper Bowles in the box following an incident involving the Spartans defender, in which he kicked out at a Coalville player. The referee consulted with his assistant on that side, which led to a sending off for violent conduct for the centre-back.

Blyth’s frustration was further compounded when Demidh escaped punishment after he caught Dale late soon after, but they held on to go into the break with their lead intact.

Coalville came out strong at the start of the second half, but Blyth were able to deal with the numerous corners that the away side won.

Jared Holmes then managed to curl the ball around Jeffries’ fingertips from the edge of the area, but his shot went narrowly around the outside of the post as well.

On what was a busy return for the Spartans’ stopper, Jeffries was called upon soon after and he produced a save from the top draw to keep Coalville out once again. Steve Towers unleashed a fierce drive from long-range that appeared to be heading for the top corner, until Jeffries lept across his goal and punched it to safety with ease.

Demidh finally found his way into the referee’s book with an hour played for persistent fouling and it was his last action of the game – as he made way for Liam Hurst at the same time that Brad Munn came on for Will Dennis.

Jenno was the next Coalville player into the book – as he brought down Maguire as he was advanced towards goal. Reid soon followed for something he said to the referee.

In a half that saw more action from the referee’s pencil than either of the two sides, Cartwright then received a booking for a coming together with Troke.

With some hard-hitting from both sides, it was left to Maguire to strike with the ball with real venom from the edge of the box. Unfortunately, it was straight at Bowles who reacted with a point-blank save.

Maguire learnt from that mistake soon after though and produced almost a carbon-copy of his first goal to give Spartans some breathing space with less than ten minutes to go.

With the ball played into his feet inside the area, Maguire channelled the late Johan Cruyff to turn and sell the defender, before firing the ball past Bowles and into the roof of the net.

Man of the match Maguire then left the field to a standing ovation from the Croft Park crowd – as he made way for Spartans debutant Luke Armstrong – and Spartans were able to hold on for a winning start to the new season, which Tom Wade’s men will surely look to continue when they travel to Marine on Tuesday evening.

Blyth Spartans: Jeffries, Cartwright, Liddle, Buddle, Hutchinson, Turnbull, Richardson, Pattison (Wade 84), Maguire (Armstrong 88), Reid, Dale.
Subs not used: Caines, Parker, McHugh.

Coalville Town: Bowles, Dennis (Munn 63), Torr, Jenno, Freeman, Walshe (Troke 74), Holmes, Towers, McDonald, Watson, Demidh (Hurst 63).
Subs not used: Woodward, Coton.

Attendance: 561

Tom Talks – Spartans Boss Hails “Great Result” Against Coalville

Blyth Spartans manager Tom Wade has hailed Saturday’s 3-1 win over Coalville Town as a “great result,” but agreed with the decision that saw his side reduced to ten men.

Nathan Buddle saw red when he kicked out at a Coalville player in the first half, forcing Spartans to play with a man less for over 50 minutes.

Blyth not only held on to their lead following the dismissal but were able to extend it further late into the second half, much to the delight of Wade.

Wade said: “The win is important. We played really well in spells.

“The sending off would hurt a lot of sides, but we managed it pretty well from the bench. We got the lads to set up in a 4-4-1 and they didn’t put us under much pressure.

“Normally, if we played a team with ten men, we’d stretch the play and try and outplay them. However, they were pretty content to try for a draw and I don’t think they went for it fully – as we’d then have tried to catch them on the break.

“We’ve got a fantastic changing room and I think that’s what won us the game. It’s a great result.”

There was confusion around Croft Park when referee John Mathews ran over to speak with his assistant and then showed Buddle a red card for an off-the-ball incident, but Wade couldn’t help but agree with the decision following the “mistake” by the centre-back.

He added: “It’s a sending off and the referee got it spot on. The lads were saying that there was a bit of argy-bargy and Budds has kicked the lad on the backside.

“He’s a young lad and a great talent, but the lads are going to make mistakes and we have to accept that.

“It just happened at the wrong time – as we were strolling the game and I think it would have been a much bigger score, but it happens. We’re not going to focus on it though.

“He has his suspension to serve now and we have five centre-backs at the club, so it gives someone else a chance.”

Buddle’s red card saw Spartans’ second goalscorer Shaun Reid drop back from midfield to play alongside Ryan Hutchinson in central defence and Wade was full of praise for the makeshift defender’s fantastic performance.

Wade said: “We could have put [Gavin] Caines or [Danny] Parker on but, when you’re in that game mode, it’s very hard to bring a central defender on and get them into that game mode straight away.

“I thought Reidy was outstanding and he was my man of the match, by a canny distance.”

The actual man of the match award went to striker Daniel Maguire, who scored in each half with two outstanding finishes and Wade was in high spirits after seeing the striker start the season at his best.

He said: “He looks sharp and we were missing him last season. Although he played a lot of games, he didn’t play as we know Danny Maguire plays.

“He was unplayable at times against Coalville and his work-rate was superb. He’s got the love of the game back and he’s looking like a good player again.”

A tough Tuesday night trip to Marine now follows for the Spartans, but that game holds no worries for the Blyth manager and he expects the game to suit Spartans’ strengths.

Wade said: “I think we’re better set up to play away from home. Teams come up to Blyth and they tend to sit back and hope to pinch a 1-0 and, at times, I think we struggle to break that down.

“Against Marine, they’ll come into the game, try to attack us and leave gaps behind them. That’s when we’re at our most dangerous though.

“It’ll be a tough game because they’re a good side, but I’m looking forward to it. With the result against Coalville and the quality in our squad, I think we’ll do alright.”